My Next Big Step

So, as some of you may have noticed, my son graduated from high school this past May. Yep, my baby is all grown up! I couldn’t be more proud of him as he gets ready for school here in a couple of weeks.

So what does that mean for me?

It’s time for ME to go back to school, too!

Wait, what??

For the past few years, I’ve been doing guest lecturing at MSU (where I got my undergrad) in a couple of different upper level management courses. Simply speaking, I’ve loved it. I’m one of those weird types of people who really enjoy public speaking. It also makes me feel good talking about something I have so much background in. My undergrad is in business, and I have 13 years experience in management at this point. What I talk about to these kids is showing them (I hope) how they can apply the principles they are learning in school to the real world – it all really DOES help.

It’s the same thing I love about doing writing panels at conventions. showing people that no, it really DOES work. Don’t give up!

I’ve wanted to travel abroad once my son graduated – I’ve known this for a while. I even went so far as getting my TEFL certificate (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). I’ve also been learning Korean (which I’m awful at) – it’s been an end goal of mine for a while.

One of my friends who I’ve been doing lecturing for knows all of this (she’s also a fan of my books – woot!).

Well, she reached out to me back in February about a Graduate/Teaching Assistant position at MSU. I would spend the first semester in Springfield, and the second, the university would fly me to our sister university in Dalian China (that’s right – China) to teach business classes. All the while, I would be working on my MBA, and giving me a stipend on top of that.

…. wait, wait….

I get to 1) travel abroad on the University’s dime, 2) teach business classes, 3) AND get to work on my MBA?

……

It seemed a no-brainer.

Sure, I’m going to be a broke-ass college kid very soon, but silver lining? I’M GOING TO BE A COLLEGE KID AGAIN!!***

So in one week, I say good-bye to my salary job and the security that offers, and I take the next major step in my life. I won’t be flying out to China until 12/29, but you can expect many pictures and stories from my misadventures there (you better BELIEVE there will be misadventures!!!). My connectivity over there will be… interesting. I won’t know until I get there what I’ll have access to, but I’ll make it work.

Meanwhile, I’m working on the edits of Book 3 – expecting that this coming fall (tentatively, November), and already got some start to Book 4 (expecting that to come out while I’m abroad).

Thank you all for your love and support as I begin my mid-life crisis. I can’t help but think it’s going to benefit me in the long-run.

And come on – I GOTTA lick the Great Wall. (Clearly, Genghis Khan didn’t have any siblings or he’d know that rule)

I’m putting together a list of places to visit while in China! Have some suggestions for me? DROP A LINK!!!

*** Yes, I’ve had it pointed out multiple times that if I have a college kid, I cannot be considered one myself. Shaddup, Jeff.